Quirky Tech for Dating

Since the advent of the Internet, online and dating have been courting each other in a web of matchmaking merriment. Sure, online dating sites have brought thousands of people together, as well as created countless Dates from Hell, but technology also provides some pretty powerful tools to protect and improve the overall act of dating.

It can be a real jungle out there, so read on for the must-have dating technology!

Honestly Now!

Does this dress make me look fat? Post up your burning question (and a photo, if appropriate) to Honestly Now! and experts in the topic, along with other Honestly Now! users, will give you brutally honest answers. Honestly Now! is free to use, but the advice is priceless.

Just Breathe

Wondering why your date's sitting so far away from you? Are flowers wilting at your mere presence? Could be that someone needs a breath mint. Still not sure? Then you definitely need to get your hands on Tanita's FitScan Breath Checker ($34.95 on amazon.com). Small enough to fit into your pocket, this discrete device measures your level of bad breath in just nine seconds! How does it do it? With science! When you exhale, the device calculates the amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) that are given off by bacteria.

Something Suddenly Just Came Up

How many times have you asked a friend to be your dating life line? You know, have them call you an hour into your date to see how it's going and basically give you an "out" if you're having an awful time. "Oh, my God. It's my mom. Her dog just ate her car keys and she needs a ride to the vet. I'm so sorry but I've gotta run..." If you've got the friend to help you regularly, that's great. But if you don't or you're just sick of asking, then check out the Bad Date Rescue app (free on iTunes), brought to you by the online dating experts over at eHarmony. You can set up your "rescue" well in advance, or quickly activate one to start in a matter of seconds or minutes with a touch of a button.

Call Me, Maybe

Nothing like giving a guy a fake phone number at the end of the evening. But what if you kind of like the guy but aren't sure? You could end up with a total creep who now knows your number, or he could've been "the one" if only you had given him your real number. Well, there are plenty of ways to use anonymous phone numbers, such as the iPhone app, Burner ($1.99 on iTunes), which instantly lets you create a disposable phone number. Each number is a new private line that masks your real line and works just like a regular number. Ready to dump that chump? Just "burn" the number and you'll never hear from him again.

Flame On

Nothing sets the mood for a romantic evening like lighting up some candles. There's just something about the flickering of the flame and the pleasing scents they gave off. But why risk knocking one over in a fit of passion, or passing out with your hottie and forgetting to blow out the candle? There are a slew of flameless wax candles available now, but we especially like this realistic-looking Beeswax Pillar made by Energizer (available this fall). It's completely safe and even includes a timer to shut off after 4, 6, or 8 hours. Romance without the danger!

As technology continues to advance, you just know companies will be doing their best to improve your dating life. Today's dating tools are a great start, but what do tomorrow's hold? Perhaps a Kissing Machine that lets you kiss someone halfway around the world or an Intimacy Dress that becomes transparent based on your emotions. For now, we'll just be sure to have the Hotels.com app handy on our phone. Y'know... just in case.